The present invention relates to feeding systems for feeding infants and other individuals who must be fed by another and more particularly to a food dispensing feeding system that includes a food package assembly, a handle assembly and a spoon bowl assembly; the food package assembly including a sealed plastic film structure having an inner compartment filled with a food product that has a tapered interior compartment end adjacent to a handle connecting end of the sealed plastic film structure provided with spaced securing holes one formed through a solid section of the sealed plastic film structure on each side of the tapered interior compartment end and a tear notch positioned between a tab portion of the handle connecting end and a line connecting the spaced securing holes such that, when a tab portion of the handle connecting end is grasped and torn away from the sealed plastic film structure along a line beginning at the vertex of the tear notch and parallel to a tab portion of the handle connecting end, a dispensing opening is formed in connection with the tapered interior compartment end of the inner compartment and the spaced securing holes remain part of the sealed plastic film structure; the handle assembly including a spoon connecting end and an elongated handle section; the spoon connecting end having a pair of spaced upwardly extending spoon/film structure securing spikes having enlarged tip end portions spaced and which are positioned to extend through the spaced securing holes of the sealed plastic film structure; the elongated handle section being sized to receive on film structure support surface thereof the sealed plastic film structure and including a compression mechanism having a compression member in slidable connection with the elongated handle section and positioned away from film structure support surface such that the compression member is slidable toward the spoon connecting end to generate a compressing force against the sealed plastic film structure positioned between the film structure support surface and the compression member of sufficient magnitude to force food from the inner compartment out through the dispensing opening; the spoon bowl assembly including an attachment structure including a dispensing opening receiving cavity formed into a handle contacting surface thereof, a spoon bowl in fluid communication with the dispensing opening receiving cavity through a bowl feed passageway formed between the spoon bowl and the dispensing opening receiving cavity and a pair of spaced spoon assembly connecting passageways spaced and dimensioned to receive therethrough the enlarged tip end portions of the spoon/film structure securing spikes such that the attachment structure is firmly held in place to provide a compressing gripping force against the sides of the sealed plastic film structure; food from the inner compartment being forced out of the sealed plastic film structure into the spoon bowl through a bowl opening of the bowl feed passageway.
It is often difficult when feeding an infant or other individual who must be fed by another to refill the feeding spoon by dipping it into a bowl, jar or other container for holding the food because the container can become knocked over and spilled causing a mess and wasting food. In addition, because babies often eat often and in small amounts, it would be a further benefit to have a feeding system that included small packets, much like catsup or mustard packets, that were filled with baby food and which could be attached to a feeding spoon mechanism whereby the food within the packet could simultaneously be portion control dispensed out into the bowl of the spoon while feeding the baby with one hand thus allowing the other hand to remain free to hold the baby, a baby bib or perform other necessary baby care activities.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a food dispensing feeding system that includes a food package assembly, a handle assembly and a spoon bowl assembly; the food package assembly including a sealed plastic film structure having an inner compartment filled with a food product that has a tapered interior compartment end adjacent to a handle connecting end of the sealed plastic film structure provided with spaced securing holes one formed through a solid section of the sealed plastic film structure on each side of the tapered interior compartment end and a tear notch positioned between a tab portion of the handle connecting end and a line connecting the spaced securing holes such that, when a tab portion of the handle connecting end is grasped and torn away from the sealed plastic film structure along a line beginning at the vertex of the tear notch and parallel to a tab portion of the handle connecting end, a dispensing opening is formed in connection with the tapered interior compartment end of the inner compartment and the spaced securing holes remain part of the sealed plastic film structure; the handle assembly including a spoon connecting end and an elongated handle section; the spoon connecting end having a pair of spaced upwardly extending spoon/film structure securing spikes having enlarged tip end portions spaced and which are positioned to extend through the spaced securing holes of the sealed plastic film structure; the elongated handle section being sized to receive on film structure support surface thereof the sealed plastic film structure and including a compression mechanism having a compression member in slidable connection with the elongated handle section and positioned away from film structure support surface such that the compression member is slidable toward the spoon connecting end to generate a compressing force against the sealed plastic film structure positioned between the film structure support surface and the compression member of sufficient magnitude to force food from the inner compartment out through the dispensing opening; the spoon bowl assembly including an attachment structure including a dispensing opening receiving cavity formed into a handle contacting surface thereof, a spoon bowl in fluid communication with the dispensing opening receiving cavity through a bowl feed passageway formed between the spoon bowl and the dispensing opening receiving cavity and a pair of spaced spoon assembly connecting passageways spaced and dimensioned to receive therethrough the enlarged tip end portions of the spoon/film structure securing spikes such that the attachment structure is firmly held in place to provide a compressing gripping force against the sides of the sealed plastic film structure; food from the inner compartment being forced out of the sealed plastic film structure into the spoon bowl through a bowl opening of the bowl feed passageway.
Accordingly, a food dispensing feeding system is provided. The food dispensing feeding system includes a food package assembly, a handle assembly and a spoon bowl assembly; the food package assembly including a sealed plastic film structure having an inner compartment filled with a food product that has a tapered interior compartment end adjacent to a handle connecting end of the sealed plastic film structure provided with spaced securing holes one formed through a solid section of the sealed plastic film structure on each side of the tapered interior compartment end and a tear notch positioned between a tab portion of the handle connecting end and a line connecting the spaced securing holes such that, when a tab portion of the handle connecting end is grasped and torn away from the sealed plastic film structure along a line beginning at the vertex of the tear notch and parallel to a tab portion of the handle connecting end, a dispensing opening is formed in connection with the tapered interior compartment end of the inner compartment and the spaced securing holes remain part of the sealed plastic film structure; the handle assembly including a spoon connecting end and an elongated handle section; the spoon connecting end having a pair of spaced upwardly extending spoon/film structure securing spikes having enlarged tip end portions spaced and which are positioned to extend through the spaced securing holes of the sealed plastic film structure; the elongated handle section being sized to receive on film structure support surface thereof the sealed plastic film structure and including a compression mechanism having a compression member in slidable connection with the elongated handle section and positioned away from film structure support surface such that the compression member is slidable toward the spoon connecting end to generate a compressing force against the sealed plastic film structure positioned between the film structure support surface and the compression member of sufficient magnitude to force food from the inner compartment out through the dispensing opening; the spoon bowl assembly including an attachment structure including a dispensing opening receiving cavity formed into a handle contacting surface thereof, a spoon bowl in fluid communication with the dispensing opening receiving cavity through a bowl feed passageway formed between the spoon bowl and the dispensing opening receiving cavity and a pair of spaced spoon assembly connecting passageways spaced and dimensioned to receive therethrough the enlarged tip end portions of the spoon/film structure securing spikes such that the attachment structure is firmly held in place to provide a compressing gripping force against the sides of the sealed plastic film structure; food from the inner compartment being forced out of the sealed plastic film structure into the spoon bowl through a bowl opening of the bowl feed passageway.